Diaper washer



R. O CONNOR DIAPER WASHER Aug. 4, 1931.l

Filed Feb. 2, 1928 Patented Aug. 4, 1931 Lauree -RECBECCA OCCNNOR, OF NE/VAR-K,` OHIO DIAPER WASHER Application filed February 2, 1928.Y serialy No.' 251,436.

My invention relates to washing devices, and more particularly to an apparatus for cleansing infants diapers preparatoryv to the scalding and sterilizing operation.

The handling of soiled diapers necessary to cleansing and washing operation is not only unsanitary but extremely obnoxious and offensive to most individuals. To 'enable the handling of soiled diapers without' physical 1U contact of the operators'hands therewith,

there has been provided in the present instance a pallet or washboardipreferably corrugated, having at one end adjustable gripper means with which one end or corner of the diaper may be engaged while such garment is extended flat upon such pallet or wash boardwith the soiled sideeXposed. At the opposite end ofsuch pallet or Wash board there is provided a handle iXedly attached by which the pallet may be supported while in use, and in association therewith there is provided a second gripper device having a handle portion registering with or seating Y Within thehandle of the palletor Wash beard,

'25 but capable of separation therefrom. The

opposite end of the diaper or garment is engaged in this separable gripper device to hold the diaper distended upon the pallet during the preliminary cleansing operation. This operation is preferably performedby use of a separate brush of-suitable shape, which is provided with a bifurcated handle affording relatively adjustable clamp fingers between which the ends of the diaper may be grasped to facilitate properly positioning it upon the pallet or wash board and engaging its ends in the respective gripper devices. When secured-in this position the garment may be submerged in water or held under a flowing stream while the brush is being applied. To remove the stain the garment may be rubbed or otherwise manipulated upon the pallet or wash board by separating the second mentioned gripper device, which is provided with a suitable handle, while maintaining one end of the garment engaged therewith. By grasping the handle of this grippermdevice the diaper may be rubbed tov and froupon the pallet or washboard. When properly cleansed the surplus water may be y enable thediaper to be easily and quickly handled ina sanitary'manner and will enable cleansing of the diapers without physical contact of the operators hands therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fornrof Washing Adevice or apparatus having' means for holding the garo ment distendedthereon. f

" A furtherobjectof the invention is to provide means for grasping or manipulating a garment on a washboard or the likewithout Contact ofthe hands. i' y A further object of the invention is to providel an improved form of `cleansing brush havinfr'a handle formed with garment engaging lingers, by which the garment may be grasped for adjusting it to proper position for cleansing. y g j 'Avfurther and primary object fof the invention is to provide cleansing apparatus Vfor diapers-which will be sanitary and upon which the cleansingvoperation'can be performed without physical contact withv the soiled diaper.` i, i y .'lVith the above primary and'other 7incidental objects in view, as will more f ully appear in the specication, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode'of operationor their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. rReferring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is vshown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only formcf embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is a side elevation of the assembled. diaper washing device with.V a garment positioned thereon. Fig. 2.is. a perspective. View of the Vdevice showingthe` garment distended for the preliminary flushing or scrubbing operatmn. Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view wherein the separable gripper element isv shown Vrerm lIlOVGd from the pallet or washboard to facilitate the rubbing of the garment on the washboard and its subsequent wringing by twisting the garment through rotation of the gripper element. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the separable gripper element removed from the garment. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cleansing brush having a bifurcated handle forming a pincer or tongs by which the garment may be grasped in adjusting it upon the pallet or washboard. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of t-he cleansing brush handle shown in Fig. 5.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 is a pallet or washboard which is preferably corrugated or roughened on its face. This pallet 1 may be of non-corrosive metal, water proof fiber, composition or other material. Located at one end of the pallet or washboard 1 is a dependent flange or lip 2 projecting from the under or rear side of the pallet 1. This fla-nge is preferably longitudinally indented or grooved to receive a clamping stirrup 3. At its o-pposite end the pallet or washboard 1 is provided with a handle 4 fiXe'dly attached to the pallet 1. This handle is preferably of skeleton or shell like form. As illustrated in the drawings it is formed of metal and is channel shaped or recessed and contoured to agree with one half of a conventional handle grip form. Pivotally mount-ed upon the handle 4 is a lever arm 5, to which the parallel arms 6 of the stirrup 3 are pivotally connected in eccentric relation with the pivotal connection of the lever 5. The stirrup 3 with its extended arms 6 lies in parallel relation closely adjacent to the under side or rear face of the pallet or washboard 1 and is preferably supported and guided at a midlength point by a keeper or guide lug 7 through which the arms 6 extend. By oscillating the lever 5 to and from the handle 4 the stirrup 3 is adjusted towards and from the flange or lip 2 Vof the pallet 1 to effect the clamping or release of one end of the diaper therebetween.

Normally positioned adjacent to the handle portion 4 is a second gripper member which is independent of the pallet or washboard 1 and separable therefrom. This gripper member shown in detail in Fig. 4,

jects a stem 9 having at its end a grooved or channeled cross head l0. Clo-operating with this cross head 10 is a wire stirrup 11 pivotally connected to an operating lever 12, which in turn is pivoted to the collar 13 slidingly mounted upon the stem 9 and held in retracted position by a helical spring 14. This form of clamping element is merely illustrative and comprises a typical and well known form of mop head. Obviously other forms of clamping devices may be used for the clamping members shown in Fig. 4 and also for the clamping means comprising the flange or lip 2 and stirrup 3.

To remove the soil from the diaper which has been spread in distended position upon the pallet or washboard 1 as shown in Fig. 2 a brush is preferably employed. Vhile such brush may be of any suitable shape there has been shown in Fig. 5 for illustrative purposes a brush of cylindrical form which will be found quite suitable. The brush 15 is provided with a bifurcated handle having parallel relatively adjustable clamp fingers 16 with which the soiled garments may be picked up and properly engaged with the respective gripping devices and the main portion of the garment properly distended upon the pallet or washboard l. As shown in the drawings, one of these fingers is pivotally connected at 17 to the other and is provided with an actuating spring 18 by which the fingers are normally pressed together to grasp an interposed end or edge of the garment. They may be released by depressing the rear end of the upper linger 16 against the ltension of the spring 18. Obviously other forms of tong like grasping devices may be employed.

In using the device the soiled diaper is lifted by the use of the split handle of the brush 15 and laid upon the pallet or board 1. By employing the gripper lingers of the brush handle the garment may be unfolded and spread flat upon the pallet. The operating lever 5 being oscillated to release the clamping stirrup 3 one end of the diaper is engaged within such stirrup, and by re-adjustment of the handle lever 5, it is clamped against the dependent ledge or flange 2. The opposite end 0f the diaper is then clamped in like manner between the stirrup 1l and cross head 10 of the independent gripper member by the adjustment of the lever 12. This separable gripper element `is then laid upon the pallet or washboard 1 with its handle portion seated within the recess or concavity of the handle portion 4 of the pallet or washboard 1. As before described this handle portion 4 is cut or stamped from sheet material into conformity with one half of a conventional form of handle. The handle portion 8 of the separable gripper portion will therefore lie snugly in the contoured handle 4 of the pallet 1. This enables the assembly to be grasped in one hand and held together. By so grasping the apparatus, the operator holds in one hand both the pallet or washboard 1 and the handle 8 of the separable gripper element and also the clamp levers 5 and 12 pertaining to the respective clamping stirrups 3 and 11. The diaper is thus held firmly distended or stretched upon the pallet or wash board and may be held under a stream of running water while the brush 15 yis applied. After the soil has been removed, the separable'gripper member may be grasped in one hand while the pallet or board is held in the other hand by means of the handle t and by manipulating the separate grippingV member the garment may be rubbed to and fro upon the pallet or washboard 1 and may be turned and folded upon itself and such folds manipulated an'd rubbed together to remove any remaining stain. In other words, without physical contact with the soiled diaper by the hands of the operator but employing the separable gripping element illustrated in Fig. l with which to manipulate the diaper th-e usual rubbing and washing operation can be performed. After completion of this stage of the cleansing and while the opposite ends of the diaper still remain engaged in the respective clamping devices the excess water may be wrung therefrom'by twisting the garment by rotation of the separate gripper member. When the garment has been wrung dry the lever 5 is operated to disengage the gripping stirrup 3 and so release one end of the diaper from the pallet or washboard. It may then be dropped into a waiting receptacle for scalding and rinsing by oscillation of the lever 12 which rele-ases the clampingV member 11 and thus frees the other end of the garment from the separable gripper element.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modification of the brush handle wherein the gras-ping lingers 16 instead of being pivoted one to the other as in Fig. 5 are of resilient or spring material and tend to remain separated but may be compressed toward each other to grasp the interposed fold of the garment by squeezing the handle within the hand of the operator.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a co-nstruction of the character described, possess- 1 ing the particular features of advantage be- (Sii fore enumerated as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions and arrangement of parts, without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

YWhile in order to comply with the statute the invention is described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, andthe invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedV claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a washing device of the character described, a pallethaving a clamping means kmeans mounted upon said handle,

adjacent to. one end thereof, a handle projecting beyond the opposite end, and a: separable clamping element normally positioned adjacent to the end vof the pallet opposite the first mentioned clamping meanshaving a handle portion extending beyond the pallet and registering with the handle of the pallet whereby the handle of the clamping element and that of the pallet may be simultaneously grasped.

2. In a washing device ofthe character described, a pallet having means thereon for detachably'. engaging one end of a garment therewith, an independent handle member,

gripping means carried thereby for detachably engaging the opposite end of the garment gaging the garment and independently movable relative' to lthe pallet'and to thel other gripping means to enable manipulation of the'garment relative to the pallet. u

4. In a washing apparatus of the character described, a corrugated pallet, means for detachably engaging one end of a garment therewith, and a manipulative handle and gripping means carried thereby detachably engageable with the opposite end of the garment by which the garment may be rubbed upon the pallet and twisted relative thereto.

5. In a washing device of the character described, a pallet, a recessed handle at one end thereof, a garment gripper device at the opposite end of the pallet, 'gripper control an independent handle member, garment gripper means'carried thereby, said independent handle member being adapted to be removably seated in the recess of the pallet handle while i the garment engaged in the respective gripper devices is extended across the'pallet.

6. In a device of the character described. a

corrugated washing board, garment gripping means carried by thel washing board adjacent one end thereof, a second garment gripping means detachably engageable with the washing board at the o-pposite extermity thereof, and variously movable relative to the y washing board and to the first mentioned garment gripping means and a handle for the last mentioned gripping'means, by which a garment extending across the board and engaged with the respective gripping means ros yne

may be manipulated relative to the Wash board.

7. The combination with a Wash board, oi a pair of relatively movable garment gripping means one of Which is fixed on said board, said means engaging at separated points a garment extending across the board, by Which on the relative movement out' one of said gripping means in relation With the other and With the board the garment may be manipulated upon the board.

8. In a device of the character described, a pallet having at one end a dependent lip, a handle at the opposite end of the board, a reciprocatory stirrup extending in substantially parallel relation with the pallet and enclosing the dependent lip, an operating lever mounted upon said handle by which the stirrup may be adjusted relative to the lip to clamp a garment therebetween, and a second garment clamping element engageable with the garment, said second clamping element being detachably engageable With the pallet substantially coincident With said handle.

9. In a device of the character described, a pallet having garment gripper means carried thereby, a handle for said pallet comprising two separable portions, one portion of the handle being attached to said pallet, and an independent garment gripping means carried by the other handle portion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of January A. D. 1928.

REBECCA OCONNOR. 

